LIFE OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA COMPILED FROM VARIOUS AUTHENTIC SOURCES ADVAITA ASHRAMA Mayavati, Almora, Himalayas' published by: « Swami PAvITRANANDA Advaita Ashrama Mayavati, Almora All rights reserved Sixth Edition 1948 Printed in India by N. N, Hazra AT THE BOSE PRESS 30, Brojo Mitter Lane, CalcuttaPREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION The aim of the book is to give to the public in English a short but comprehensive chronological account of the life of Sri Ramakrishna. Great as are the difficulties of faithfully delineating the life-history of any famous personage, they are almost insurmountable when the subject of the biography happens to be such a striking figure as Sri Ramakrishna. For it is a note- worthy fact that no man has been the subject of so many conflicting estimates as the Prophet of Dakshin- eswar. His personality was a combination of so many apparently contradictory elements that it is baffling to the superficial observer ; that is the reason that he has been so variously described as a maniac, a good soul, a devotee, a saint, a man of the highest realisation, and an Incarnation of the Most High. It is impossible to give any presentation of his life that will be universally satisfying ; yet no one by words and actions satisfied so many as he. We are so accustomed to gauging every- thing by our pet standards that anything that does not measure up to them is summarily disposed of as fantas-” tic or impossible. A biographer of Sri Ramakrishna, therefore, must content himself with adhering to the truth, and with the presentation of the actual facts, leav- ing it to the reader to form his own opinion of the Master. This book closely follows the chronology and treat- ment of the great Bengali work in five volumes, Sri Sri Ramakrishna Lilaprasanga (“Discourses on the Life of Sri Ramakrishna”), by the late Swami Saradananda, a direct disciple of the Master, who ably held the post of Secretary to the Ramakrishna Mission for over an quarter of a century. We have purposely omitted some of the masterly expositions of abstruse points relating to the Master’s life, as being too philosophical for the ordinary reader. Additional facts have been collected from the following Bengali sources: Life of Sri Rama- krishna by the late Ramchandra Dutt, and the beauti- ful Life in verse by the late Akshay Kumar Sen, both disciples of the Master ; Life of Sri Ramakrishna, com- piled from authentic records by the late Priyanath Sinha, alias Gurudas Varman, a disciple of Swami Vivekananda, with the assistance of the senior Swamis of the Ramakrishna Mission; and the epoch-making work of Babu Mahendra Nath Gupta, better known as M.—the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, in four volumes, from which some valuable conversations have been taken in their entirety. The materials for the life- sketches of four of the living monastic disciples of the Master have been obtained at first-hand. One or two other sources are mentioned in their respective places. To ‘all these authors we express our deep indebtedness. Thus the present work combines the essential facts of all the authoritative books on the subject with import- ant additions. Where our authorities have differed we have accepted the version most worthy of credence. A word of explanation is necessary with regard to the free introduction of the ‘supernatural’ element in the book. Our main reason is that we could not help it, for the supernatural is the domain of religion. What the microscope or the telescope does for the scientist, a pure and highly concentrated mind does for the Yogi. Both reveal the wonders of invisible worlds non-exist- ent to the uninitiated—the man in the street. Everyone of the so-called supernatural visions recorded in the book is a fact, and as such demands recognition.Science, specially psychology, is as yet in its infancy, and it will be hampered in its progress if facts are with- held, simply because in its gropings it is not able to account for them. Instead of shutting his eyes to them, the seeker after truth will do well to work upon these data for new hypotheses of spiritual phenomena. We expect our readers to keep an open mind, and if any portions of the book are not to their liking, to pass them by, and confine their attention to parts which appeal to them, of which there should be no dearth in this Life. We make no apology for inserting some rather lengthy conversations (abridged in places), for they will serve to give the reader a glimpse of the Master’s wealth of thought and expression, although much of the charm of the original has of necessity been lost in the translation. For a wider knowledge of them we refer the reader to any of the collections of his teachings. The accounts of the association of the different devotees with the Master will, we hope, be found in- teresting. But the amount of space given to any indi- vidual should not be taken as an index to his relative importance, for we were limited by our material, and were unable to maintain the right proportions. Mahatma Gandhi has kindly written a Foreword in appreciation of the Master, which, we dare say, will be read with interest. We have every reason to hope that the book in its present form will fill a long-felt want, and help to establish a feeling of amity among the jarring creeds and clashing interests of the modern world. PUBLISHER Apvarra AsHRAMA Mayavati, Himarayas December 20, 1924iv PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION In this edition the book has been thoroughly revised. One or two inaccuracies which slipped our notice in the first edition have also been corrected. It is hoped that the book will be more acceptable to the public in its present form. " Mayavatr December 15, 1928 PusLisHER PREFACE TO THE FOURTH EDITION The present edition comes out in the Centenary Birth Celebration year of Sri Ramakrishna with consi- derable improvements in printing and general get-up. It omits nothing of the earlier edition though there has been a reduction in the number of pages on account of the change in the setting up of types. The price has been greatly lowered to bring it within the reach of a wider public. Mayavati November 20, 1936 PUBLISHERCONTENTS Foreworp ANCESTRY BirtH INFANCY BoyHoop On THE THRESHOLD of YourH “*BREAD-WINNING EpucaTION ” Fue Daxsuineswar TEMPLE BerorE THE Divine MortHer First Vision oF THE Divine MoTHER Gop-inToxIcaTED STATE HaALapHARI ReTuRN TO KAMARPUKUR AND Marrtacz Back to DaksHINESWAR Buarravt BRAHMANI TANTRIKA SADHANA In THE Company oF DEVOTEES AND SctroLaRs RAMLALA Love TRANSCENDENTAL Ninvixatpa SAMADHI RELATION WITH HIs GuRUS GurmpsEs oF MaTHuR PiucrIMAcE Hriway Ram anp AKsHAY Deata or Maruur : Tue Hoty Moruer at DAxsHINESWAR At THE Enp oF HIS SADHANA BEREAVEMENTS Kessan CHanpra SEN AND THE BRAHMO Samay Pace vii il 15 val 43 47 61 73 104 114 133 146 166 173 181 193 216 224 233 240 253 261 268Lasr Visrr To KAMARPUKUR Ramcwanpra Durr AND MANOMOHAN MrrRa SurENDRA AND KEDAR es Some InrerEstinc WortTHiEs Latu, RakHAL AND Gopat SENIOR Narenpra Natu Exar or Hrway : Haris ano BHAVANATH Tarak Natu anp NiryacopAL BaaraM Bose Basuram AND Niran¥an Mauenpra Nata Gupta Jocrnpra Natu Meerinc wit some NoraBLes PRANKRISHNA, ADHAR, TARAK OF BELGHARIA AND VaAIKUNTHA Nac Mawasay AND SurESH ‘CHANDRA Durr Girish CHANDRA GHosH Tue Marcx or Events Devenpra AND Katipapa Sast, Sarat, Hari, GANcADHAR, SARADA, Torast AND HARIPRASANNA Katt anp Susop Meetinc witu Panpir SasapHAR TARKACHUDAMANI MEETING wiTH BANKIM CHANDRA CHATTERJEE Orxer Devorers, OLp anp YouNG Women Devotees FarEwELt To DAKsHINESWAR SHYAMPUKUR ; He Cossrpore GARDEN AND MAHASAMADHT AFTER THE PAssiNc CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE INDEX Pace 290 297 307 313 320 327 359 365 371 376 385 393 426 434 441 452 486 494 502 513 524 S41 552 571 598 611FOREWORD -~ The story of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa’s life is a story of religion in practice. His life enables us to see God face to face. No one can read the story of his life without being convinced that God alone is real and that all else is an illusion. Ramakrishna was a living embodiment of godliness. His sayings are not those of a mere learned man but they are pages from the Book of Life. They are revelations of his own ex-, periences. They therefore leave on the reader an impression which he cannot resist. In this age of scepticism Ramakrishna presents an example of a bright and living faith which gives solace to thousands of men and women who would otherwise have re- mained without spiritual light. Ramakrishna’s life was an object-lesson in Ahimsa.’ His love knew no limits, geographical or otherwise. May his divine love be an inspiration to all who read the following pages. Margsheersh, Krishna 1, Vikram Sambat 1981 2 SaBarMart, M. K. Ganput 4 Noninjury. 212th Novémber, 1924.LIFE OF SRI RAMAKRISHNAANCESTRY In the middle of the eighteenth century there lived in the village of Dereypore, District of Hooghly, Bengal, a Brahmin family, of which Manik Ram Chattopadhyaya (familiarly known as Chatterjee) was the head. The Chatterjees were God-fearing people and observed all the Hindu religious rites with the utmost exactitude and devotion. They had lived there for several generations and were respected by the villagers for their honesty, piety and straightforwardness. Sri Ramachandra was the tutelary, deity’ of the family as indicated by the use of “Rama” in naming most of its members. The Chatterjee family lived the typical Brahmin life of olden times, never deviating from the dictates of its conscience and always ready to lend a hand of succour to the needy and distressed of the village in times of calamity. Manik Ram was fairly affluent, with nearly fifty acres of land at his disposal, the produce of which, together with some outside income, was sufficient to maintain his family, and enabled him to help his poorer neighbours. In course of time, probably in the year 1775, he was blessed with a son whom he called Khudiram. He it was who later became the father of the remarkable being who is the subject of this chronicle. Two other sons and a daughter were born to him, all of whom were reared according to the family traditions, the sons being edu- 1 Among the Brahmins some aspect or aspects of God are chosen for household worship. The image is generally installed in a room set apart, and daily worship is performed at stated times. In families of other castes the services are usually conducted by the officiating priests. :Zz LIFE OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA cated in the village Pathsala. After the death of Manik Ram the care of the family fell upon the shoulders of young Khudiram. His qualifications eminently fitted him for this task. Of a kindly nature, with a strong sense of justice, un- swerving honesty, even to a point detrimental to his own interest, and intensely devotional, he proved himself equal to the trust reposed in him, not only by his father, but by the Divine Mother, who was soon to give one of Her elect into his care. He was more than blessed in his life partner, Srimati Chandramani, or Chandra, as she was called by the family. In addition to her faith in her husband and all his judgments, no matter what reaction they. might have on her own life, she had a character of great simplicity and sweetness, intense faith in and love for God and humanity. So universal was the latter that she was called the Mother of her little community. No one was ever turned away disappointed from her door; the women of the village came to her in their trials and perplexities, knowing they would receive un- selfish aid and advice. Such were the unusual characteristics of the two who were chosen to be the custodians and guides of the early years of one of the greatest sages whose presence ever blessed this earth. Nine years after the birth of his first son Ramkumar, Khudiram was visited in 1814 by a sudden stroke of misfortune. Ramananda Ray, the zemindar of the village, was a most tyrannical landlord, and the villagers were all afraid of him. One of them was guilty of some indiscretion, and Ramananda, to show his displeasure, entered suit on false charges and called upon Khudiram to give evidence in his (Ramananda’s) favour. Khudi-ANCESTRY 3 ram not only had a horror of courts and avoided them whenever possible, but he knew as well that this was a concocted case: if he acceded to the request he would do violence to his conscience, perhaps for the first time in his life; if he declined he would incur the anger of Ramananda. After a severe struggle with himself he decided to refuse to lend his support. Ramananda was very angry at Khudiram’s audacity and decided to teach him a lesson. So he brought false charges against him too, and Khudiram lost his ancestral property, including the huts which had so long sheltered him and his family. Overwhelming as was this misfortune, he did not lose faith in the Lord Ramachandra, but bowed his head before His inscrutable dispensation. There was nothing for him to do but to leave Dereypore, and as his two brothers took refuge with their respective fathers-in-law, he felt free to accept the invitation of his friend Sukhal Goswami of Kamarpukur to make his new home there. And of the once prosperous and prominent Chatterjee family of Dereypore there remained, after his departure, only the Shiva temple with its large tank and the affec- tion and gratitude of the villagers. The village of Kamarpukur is situated in the north- western promontory of the Hooghly District, adjacent to Bankura and Midnapore. The villages of Bengal fifty years ago presented quite a different aspect from that of to-day. Instead of desolate villages with inhabitants worn out by disease and starvation, as may be seen since the invasion of malaria in 1867, healthy men and women passed their days in joyous affluence. Kamarpukur was no exception to the rule. The village landlords, descend- ants of a line of spiritual preceptors to the Maharajas of Burdwan, lived in that village, contributing, to a great extent, to its prosperity. Besides, it was situated4 LIFE OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA on the road to the holy place of Puri or Jagannath. The villagers were mostly agriculturists and craftsmen. The village was famous for certain sweets and ebony pipes used in hubble-bubbles. There was also a thriving hand- loom industry, the products of which were sold even in the markets of Calcutta. Various religious festivals throughout the year added to the serene and innocent merriment of the village-folk. Sri Dharma,’ the presid- ing deity of the village, was worshipped, specially during the Car Festival,’ with great fervour. Three or four large tanks, Haldarpukur being the most noted, supplied the village with pure water. The flourishing condition of Kamarpukur is still evidenced by the debris of its old buildings and the ruins of great walls and temples. There still survives a large mango grove dedicated to public use by Manik Chandra Bannerjee. Manik was the zemin- dar of a neighbouring village and because of his exten- sive charities, was lovingly called “Manik Raja” by the villagers. At this time, Sukhlal Goswami, a kind-hearted and (pious man, was*the zemindar of Kamarpukur. The ruins of his brick-built residence and his tomb’ are still to be seen. He died about the year 1824. His son, owing to adverse circumstances, had to sell the ancestral zemin- dary to the Laha family of the village, to whom it still belongs. It was at the invitation of this Sukhlal that Khudiram moved to Kamarpukur. Sukhlal gave him a portion of his own house, consisting of a few huts, and 1 Probably a remnant of degraded Buddhism. 2The festival in which the Car of Jagannath is drawn with proper ceremonies through ‘the streets of the city or village. 8 The Goswamis are interred, according to the prevalent Vaish- ava custom. ‘ANCESTRY 5 settled on him nearly half an acre of very fertile land known as the “Lakshmi Jala” or “Fortune’s Meadow,” for maintenance. Khudiram entered his new house with his wife, his ten-year old son and a four-year old daughter, in his thirty-ninth year. The unjust eviction from his ancestral home and the subsequent. welcome and shelter received at Kamarpukur left a profound and indelible impression on his mind. He was utterly disgusted with the world,— its hypocrisy, malice and greed. His love and devotion to God increased a thousandfold, and he learned to lean upon Him more and more. The unexpected way in which he found shelter at a time when he was void of hope and nothing but ruin stared him in the face, filled his heart with calm resignation to the Divine will and a total indifference to all mundane things. He began to devote much of his time to prayer, meditation and the worship of Sri Ramachandra. Sometimes whole days were passed in this way, for the fertile land of “Lakshmi Jala” did not make much demand on his time or energy. When the field was ready, Khudiram would transplant a few seedlings, with the words, “Glory unto Raghuvir,” leaving the rest to the labourers. The crops never failed him; there was always enough, even in times of drought or flood, to supply not only the simple needs of the family, but to help beggars and strangers as well. At this time Khudiram came strangely into posses- sion of the emblem of his tutelary deity Raghuvir. One day, while returning home from a neighbouring village where he had gone on business, he felt tired and sat down under a tree by the side of a paddy field, fell asleep and dreamed a wonderful dream. His beloved Ishta,” 1The aspect of the Lord chosen by an individual as his Ideal.6 LIFE OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA Sri Ramachandra, in complexion like a young blade of grass, appeared as a boy and said, “ Unnoticed and uncared for, I have been starving here for many days. Take me to your home. I am eager to accept your offerings.” Beside himself with joy,.Khudiram replied, “My Lord, I am devoid of devotion and too poor to think of installing Thee in my hut. If I fail to show Thee proper respect, I shall suffer the agony of hell.” The boy Ramachandra reassured him and said “Do not be afraid. I shall be satisfied with your service in spite of its defects.” Khudiram wept at this unsolicited mercy of the Lord and awoke from his sleep. As he looked about, he saw the place pointed out in his dream. With trembling limbs he slowly moved to the spot and to his amazement and joy found a Salagrama or round stone emblem of Vishnu, sheltered under the hood of a veno- mous snake. He stretched forth his hands to take it, and the snake disappeared. Calling aloud the name of Raghuvir, he clasped it to his breast. Examination showed the emblem to be of the type called Raghuvir. He took it home and regarded it as his own Ishta. Khudiram soon attracted the notice and gained the respect of his neighbours at Kamarpukur for his intense devotion and unsullied purity. They sought his blessings, believing in their potency, and none would touch the water of the Haldarpukur when he was bathing there.* At this time he made an appreciable advance in spiri- tuality. Keeping his mind on a plane of consciousness far above the world of sense pleasures, he begafi to have visions, Sometimes, while gathering flowers for his daily worship, he saw the goddess Sitala going before him 1As-a mark of respect.ANCESTRY 7 in the form of an eight-year old girl, with a radiant smile and bedecked with various precious ornaments, as she helped him to pluck the flowers by bending the branches. At other times as he sat for meditation, tears of love trickled down his cheeks and his mind soared far away into higher regions where he found himself in close communion with his beloved Deity. Then, and when he uttered the Gayatri Mantra,’ his face and chest be- came radiant. The impression created by Chandra Devi in the village was equally great. Her kindness soon attracted attention. Beggars found that as long as there was a morsel of food in the house, she would share it. She was indulgent to the demands and importunities of boys and girls and the village women came to her for help to solve their difficulties. Thus though the huts of Khudiram never smiled in affluence, they were a source of solace to many. Sri Ramakrishna, later in life, referring to his parents, said to his disciples and devotees, “My mother wag the very embodiment of rectitude and sincerity. She did not know much about the ways of the world, and being innocent of the art of concealment would say what was in her mind. People loved her greatly for her open- heartedness. My father never accepted gifts from the Sudras.” He spent much of his time in worship, medi- tation and the telling of beads. Every day, while engaged in prayer, as he invoked the goddess Gayatri his chest swelled and became radiant with a divine glow and tears rolled down his cheeks. Again in hours of leisure, 1A Vedic prayer to the Deity. : 2 The lowest of the four castes, according to the Hindu classi- fication. ud8 LIFE OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA when he was not engaged in worship, he would make garlands for Raghuvir. He left his ancestral home to avoid giving false evidence. The villagers respected him as a sage.” After six years’ residence in Kamarpukur, Khudiram married his son and daughter. Ramkumar attained proficiency in the Hindu code in the Tol* of an adjacent village, and soon was able to relieve, to a certain extent, his father’s family burden. The Chatterjees had become comparatively prosperous. Ramkumar added to the in- come by giving opinions on disputed points of religious ceremonials or by assisting in the performance of specific rites. The story that Ramkumar had acquired super- natural powers still lives in the village. People looked upon his prophecies as infallible and related that after his initiation to the worship of the Sakti,” the Goddess bestowed on him miraculous powers in astrology, and that thenceforward he could tell whether a patient would live or die. Shivaram Chatterjee, Ramkumar’s nephew, used to tell a story of his uncle’s prophetic power. Ramkumar was in Calcutta on business and went to the Ganges to bathe. A rich man with his family was there also for the same purpose. In pursuance of the custom obtaining in some rich families for the strict maintenance of the purdah system, the wife was taken to the water of the Ganges in a palanquin. From that she was taking her bath. Ramkumar was standing near by and accidentally caught a glimpse of her beautiful face. With a deep sigh he remarked that the body which was being so scrupulously kept from public gaze would be consigned in the presence of all, the next 1A school of the old type where Sanskrit learning in all its branches is taught. : 2The Goddess representing the Creative Energy of the universe.ANCESTRY 9 morning, to this very Ganges as a-lifeless corpse. The husband was greatly astonished, for his wife was young and strong. He invited Ramkumar to his home, with a view to punishing him should the prophecy prove to be false. But to the surprise and grief of all, the woman died. - On another occasion, in the case of his own wife, Ramkumar’s vision was prophetic. This young woman, who was endowed with many auspicious marks," seemed to bring with her advent prosperity into the Chatterjee family and was beloved by every one. But one day Ramkumar gravely told his relatives that though every- thing appeared propitious, yet she would die at the birth of her first child. When she remained childless Ramkumar was relieved, but in the year 1849, at the age of thirty-five, she gave birth to a beautiful boy and expired. With Ramkumar looking after the family, Khudi- ram had more time at his disposal and spent almost the whole day in meditation, worship and religious discours- es. He found that the only harbour of refuge in a distracted world was in continuous devotion to God. There arose in him the desire to go on pilgrimage, for did not the scriptures teach that God revealed Himself most in holy places frequented by devotees and sancti- fied from time immemorial by the presence of sages and anchorites? It was probably in the year 1824 that Khudiram started on his long pilgrimage to Rameswar in South India, a place highly venerated by the Hindus. It is associated with the sacred memory of Sri Ramachandra, who, on his return from Lanka, worshipped the God 1 Certain physiognomical marks which have been found by re peated obs¢rvation to indicate future greatness, secular or spiritual.10 LIFE OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA Shiva there. Khudiram travelled the whole distance of nearly fifteen hundred miles on foot, visiting various holy places on the way. This pilgrimage lasted about a year. Twelve months later, in 1826, his wife Chandra became the mother of a second son, who was named Rameswar. About eleven years later Khudiram felt a strong in- clination to go on another pilgrimage,—this time to Gaya. Though advanced in years, he wished, according to the time-honoured custom of the Hindus, to redeem the souls of his departed ancestors by the reverential offering of Pinda, the oblation of barley balls, at the holy footprint of Lord Vishnu there.’ In spite of his years the journey of nearly two hundred miles on foot had no terrors for him. Khudiram started for Gaya early in the year 1835 and arrived there in the month of March.” 1 Acts of service done in memory of departed relatives. While these are meant to satisfy the departed, the attitude of mind of the one performing such acts is the more important. 2Some are of opinion that Khudiram had already visited the holy cities of Vrindavan, Ayodhya and Benares, while at Dereypore, and named his first son and daughter—who were born not long after this event—Ramkumar and Katyayani, in memory of this pilgrimage. According to this version he visited only Gaya this time. But others say that he visited first Benares and then Gaya. No details of his visit to Benares are available. .BIRTH Khudiram stayed about a month at Gaya, performing various ceremonies according to the scriptures. He went to the shrine of Vishnu, or Gadadhar, as He is called, and offered oblations to his departed forefathers. The joy which he felt on that day can better be imagined than described, for he had discharged one of his obliga- tions as a son according to the scriptures. He felt that the spirits of his ancestors were blessing him. Full of humility and gratitude he thanked God again and again for giving him the opportunity of fulfilling his obliga- tion. That night he had a strange dream. He felt himself transported again to the temple of Gadadhar where in the solemn silence of the sacred precincts, he found his forefathers feasting with gladdened hearts on the obla- tions. Suddenly a divine effulgence filled the room, and the spirits of the departed fell reverently on their knees before a luminous Person seated on a throne. The efful- gent One beckoned to Khudiram, who came forward and, with a heart full of devotion, prostrated himself. Addressing Khudiram in a tone of great sweetness, He said, “I am well pleased at your sincere devotion. I am born again and again to chastise the wicked and protect the virtuous. This time I shall be born in your cottage and accept you as My father.” Khudiram was struck dumb with awe ; when he regained the power of speech he said, “ No, my Lord, I am not fit for this favour. Thou hast already shown me more than I deserve. I am too poor to serve Thee properly.” The Lord consoled and reassured him. Khudiram awoke, his heart thrilled with joy. He12 LIFE OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA understood that a divine being would bless his home, but he resolved to say nothing of his experience. He returned home about the end of April. In the meantime, Chandra Devi was also having strange visions. One night she dreamed that a luminous person exactly resembling her husband was at her side. The vision persisted even- after she awoke. She thought that someone must have broken into her room, and that the sound of footsteps had caused the dream. She arose, lit the lamp, but found the door bolted on the inside. She became so nervous that she was unable to sleep the rest of the night. Next morning she called two of her friends, Prasanna, the daughter of Dharmadas Laha, and Dhani, her blacksmith neighbour, and told them what had happened. They laughed at her, told her not to repeat the absurd story, and assured her that it was nothing but a dream. Another day when she was standing with Dhani be- fore the Shiva temple adjacent to her house; she saw a flood of celestial light issue from the image of Lord Shiva and dart towards her. She was about to speak of the phenomenon to her friend, when the light entered her body and completely overpowered her, rendering sher unconscious. Dhani nursed her back to consciousness, and hearing the whole story, was at first puzzled and then took it as a nervous disease. But Chandra felt as if she were with child. The first thing that struck Khudiram after his return was the change in his wife. Her natural kindness of heart was increased to such a degree that it overflowed in every direction. More than ever she considered it her duty to help her neighbours in every possible way, supplying their needs from her own stores, even going without food, if necessary. And when she told KhudiramBIRTH 13 of her experience and that she felt that she was about to become a mother, he remembered his own visions at Gaya, and was able to reassure her by: telling her that they were going to be blessed with a divine child, and that supernatural happenings were to be looked for in such a case. He advised her not to speak of her visions to any one. Chandra was greatly consoled and passed her days in complete resignation to the will of Raghuvir. The present living members of the Chatterjee family relate that the prospective mother began to have visions almost daily. Sometimes she felt the presence of celestial beings; at other times she heard voices, One day she awoke from sleep to hear the tinkling of bells from a child’s anklets. Sometimes she was found speaking in whispers with invisible beings. She told of her strange experiences to her husband, saying that she had them not during prayer or meditation, but with her eyes wide open. We make no attempt to explain the strange incidents narrated above. We shall only remind the reader that similar stories are associated with the advent of Prophets and Incarnations all over the world. The incidents here related are not based on mere hearsay, but, as far as possible, have been gathered from authentic sources. The blessed hour for which Khudiram and Chandra were anxiously waiting at last drew near. On the morn- ing of February 17th, in the year 1836, Chandra told her husband that the time of her delivery was at hand, but the following night was well-nigh passed before, with the help of Dhani, she gave birth to a boy. The lying-in room where the august stranger was born was a small hut containing a husking machine and an oven for boiling paddy. It was the vernal season, and nature had breathed new life into the world after the long win- ter. Birds with their sweet chirpings and flowers with14 LIFE OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA delicious perfume heralded the advent of the new pro- phet, who with infinite love in one hand and infinite knowledge in the other came to deliver his message of hope to suffering humanity. After giving the necessary assistance to the mother, Dhani turned her attention to the babe, which, to her surprise, was not where she had placed it. It had slipped into the adjacent oven, and was lying there half-covered with ashes, without uttering a cry! She picked up the infant and was astonished to find that it was as large as a child six months old. When the friends heard the glad tidings, there was great rejoicing, and blasts of conch-shells announced the blessed event to the outside world. Khudiram, an adept in astrology,’ found that the infant was born at a most auspicious moment, giving promise of a brilliant future. Celebrated astrologers later corroborated this and prophesied a great and illustrious career for it, Khudiram was overjoyed that the prospective great- ness of his son confirmed his vision at Gaya and explained the experiences of Chandra Devi. He named him Gada- dhar because of his wonderful experience at Gaya. 1 From ancient times in India it has been the custom to cast the horoscope of every new-born child. Through it the future could be foretold with tolerable accuracy.INFANCY From his very birth Gadadhar had a strange fascina- tion not only for his parents and near relatives, but also for his neighbours, who came to the cottage of Khudi- ram whenever possible. The pecuniary condition of the family improved appreciably. Ramkumar’s fame as an expert in the per- formance of all religious rites and ceremonies was spreading far and wide, bringing a fair income to the poor family in its hour of need. Besides, as soon as the happy news of the birth of Gadadhar was sent to Ram- chand, Khudiram’s nephew, he anticipated the needs of the family and presented it with a cow, in addition to his regular help of fifteen rupees a month. Six months passed, and the time came for the cele- bration of the ceremony of the first rice-taking. At first Khudiram thought it prudent to perform it in a humble way, in the presence of a few relatives, But under the secret instructions of his friend Dharmadas Laha, the Brahmins of the village requested Khudiram to celebrate it with pomp. Khudiram had not the means to manage the festival on such a big scale, but he had to give way to their importunities. He consulted his friend Dharma- das, who cheerfully bore the greater part of the expenses, and the ceremony was performed in a befitting manner. A large number of beggars were fed, and they all blessed the boy. Meanwhile, from the birth of the boy, various super- natural’ phenomena took place which filled Chandra with 1Supernatural—from the standpoint of inexplicableness and ignorance of the laws of the subtle planes.16 LIFE OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA alarm. Though at times she was sure that a great soul had deigned to be born as her son, yet her mother’s heart was troubled by apprehensions of some future trouble to Gadadhar through the evil influence of spirits or ghosts, which was her way of explaining these extra- ordinary happenings. Sometimes the child seemed too heavy to carry, and she had to call to her husband for help. A moment later Gadadhar would be light as ever. As happenings of this sort became rather frequent, poor Chandra became very uneasy. But Khudiram consoled her by saying that such incidents were not strange in the case of a divine child. Besides, their tutelary deity Raghu- vir would always give protection. This, however, did not pacify the mother, and she fervently prayed to the gods for her son’s welfare. The years rolled on, and in 1839 a daughter named Sarvamangala was added to the family.” Gadadhar was 1The following genealogical table will help the reader: Manik Ram Chatterjee . erro ete ' = | Khudiram Ramsila Nidhiram Ramkanai Bhagavat Bannerjee | a l j | ! Ramtarak Kalidas Ramchand = Hemangini (alias Haladhari) Krishna Chandra Mukherji i i T i aieat Raghav Ramratan —-Hriday Rajaram | | J i eal Ramkumar Rameswar Katyayani Gadadhar © Sarvamangala Il Kenaram Bannerjee (Sri Ramakrishna) Akshay t I Ramlal Lakshmi ShivaramINFANCY 17 now five years old. He was a healthy boy, of exquisite grace. Khudiram was greatly surprised at his wonderful intelligence and memory even at this early age. The precocious boy learnt by heart the names of his ancestors, the hymns to various gods and goddesses, and tales from the great national epics. One hearing was enough; even after a great lapse of time he could repeat them. Young as he was, he showed great distaste for certain things, such as the rudiments of mathematics. He was an extremely restless boy, and thinking that school might help him to control this, Khudiram sent him to the village school, where he was soon beloved by both stu- dents and teacher. The classes were held in a spacious bungalow belonging to the Laha family, which on festive occasions was used for dramatic performances. There were morning and afternoon sessions. Khudiram’s peculiar experiences before Gadadhar’s birth had convinced him of the future greatness of his boy. From the very beginning he viewed him as different; the faults inexcusable in ordinary boys were overlooked in his case, and his spirit of waywardness was condoned. But there was a gulf of difference between the childish pranks of Gadadhar and those of other boys. Generally when boys are detected in some mischief they try to excuse themselves and refrain from repetition only through fear of punishment. Gadadhar was different. He freely confessed when caught, but nothing could intimidate him to the point that he would refrain from doing it again, did he so desire. Gentle and affectionate persuasions, however, always had their effects upon him and made him yield, and his sweet nature always pre- vented him from injuring anyone. At school Gadadhar made fair progress. He was able to read and write, but his aversion to mathematics 218 LIFE OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA continued as before. In those days minstrels used to go through the villages reciting mythological stories from the epics and Puranas, and the villagers, without any stage-setting, would enact them. Gadadhar never missed any of these performances and listened with rapt atten- tion, noticing carefully the pose of the actors. Often he repeated such dramas before his friends almost verbatim— such was his wonderful memory. He learnt from the potters the art of moulding images of gods and goddesses and then made excellent ones at home. From the painters he learnt to paint them. This was his favourite pastime. Thus instead of turning his attention to the acquire- ment of that learning for which he was sent to school, so that later he might earn his livelihood, Gadadhar directed all his energies to the study of the lives and characters of spiritual heroes. Constant study of those subjects often made him forgetful of the world and threw him into deep meditations. As he grew older these turned into frequent trances whenever his religious feelings were aroused. Besides the great epics, he was interested in the folklore of his own and surrounding villages. Often he would make copies of some of the interesting incidents from books or manuscripts: some of these may still be seen at the Belur Math. As he grew older, other traits of character began to manifest themselves. For example, he showed wonderful courage. The places that other people shunned as being haunted, he visited without any fear. Almost all the members of the Chatterjee family were open to psychic influences. This helped them into deep meditations, making them lose their identity completely in the thought tof the Chosen Ideal. This often happened to Ramsila, “Khudiram’s ‘sister, when she meditated on the goddessINFANCY. 19 Sitala. At such times she was looked upon with respect and awe. Once when Ramsila was in such a mood, Gadadhar was standing by. Instead of being afraid at what he saw, he said afterwards with a smile, “It would be os fun if she who possessed my aunt got hold of me But the chief characteristic of the boy, to which we have already referred, was his influence over everyone coming in contact with him. The boys with whom he used to play could not bear to be separated from him, and the villagers who had once seen him came again and again to Khudiram’s house with sweets or fruits as an excuse to see him. This unusual power of attraction he retained throughout his life. Manik Ram, a great friend of Khudiram, often invit- ed the latter to his house. Once when Gadadhar was six years old, he accompanied his father. Manik Ram said, “Well, I don’t think Gadadhar is an ordinary child. He has unusual marks on his body. His presence really gladdens my heart, and I wish you would often bring him with you.” After that, if Khudiram were unable to go to see Manik, the latter would send for Gadadhar. The boy would spend the entire day with him, returning in the evening laden with presents. We have already referred to the strong influence of teligious books on the susceptible mind of Gadadhar. Whenever he read such books to the villagers, he did so with such feeling that for the time being he seemed to lose his own identity, and the audience would be spell- bound. His relatives could not understand this and ascribed it to hysteria. Soon it was found that not only books, but beautiful scenery or some touching incident was sufficient to make him lose himself. And the village abounded in such stimuli. Nature’s beauties and sublimi-20 LIFE OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA ties could be seen there in their primitive glory. One day an occurrence of this kind caused great anxiety to his parents and relatives. Sri Ramakrishna in later years narrated this incident to his devotees in his usual poetic way. We give here the substance of what he said : “In that part of the country (meaning Kamarpukur) the boys are given puffed rice for luncheon. This they carry in small wicker baskets, or, if they are too poor, in a corner of their cloth. Then they go out for play on the roads or in the fields. One day, in June or July, when I was six or seven years old, I was walking along a narrow path separating the paddy fields, eating some of the puffed rice which I was carrying in a basket. Looking up at the sky I saw a beautiful sombre thunder- cloud. As it spread rapidly enveloping the whole sky, a flight of snow-white cranes flew overhead in front of it. It presented such a beautiful contrast that my mind wandered to far off regions. Lost to outward sense, I fell down, and the puffed rice was scattered in all directions. Some people found me in that plight and carried me home in their arms. That was the first time I completely lost consciousness in ecstasy.” Though he seemed quite well when he regained consciousness, his parents were greatly frightened. Khu- diram thought it wise to take precautions against a recurrence of this episode, lest it should do the boy bodily harm at his tender age. But Gadadhar reassured him by telling him that he had simply lost all outward conscious- ness as his mind was overpowered by an inexpressible emotion and unspeakable joy. However his parents kept him from school for several days.BOYHOOD When Gadadhar was seven years old, the simple, quiet life of the Chatterjee family was suddenly interrupt- ed by a sad event fraught with great consequences to Gadadhar. In the year 1843 Khudiram developed symp- toms of indigestion, which soon turned into chronic dysentery. His strong body became emaciated, and in his sixty-eighth year he had not vitality enough to check the growth of the disease’ The autumn season arrived. Every year Khudiram’s nephew, Ramchand, celebrated with great pomp the Durga Puja festival at his home at Salampore. Khudiram usually attended. This year, apprehensive of the dark shadow looming in the future, he hesitated about going. But on second thoughts, he changed his mind, and set out with his eldest son, Ram- kumar. A few days after his arrival at Salampore his illness took a serious turn, and on the fourth day of the celebration he became unconscious. Ramchand was great- ly concerned. Realising that Khudiram’s last moment had come, he called to him the name of Raghuvir. At the mention of this holy name Khudiram suddenly became conscious and asked to be helped up to a sitting posture on the bed. He then uttered the name of Raghuvir thrice and expired. Ramchand and his family were overpowered with grief at the death of Khudiram. His body was taken to the bank of the adjacent river and the last rites were performed according to the usual custom. The sad tidings reached Kamarpukur and cast an unspeakable gloom over the Chatterjee family. To a Hindu wife the death of her husband, who is her visible22 LIFE OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA God on earth, is considered the greatest misfortune. Chandra Devi was now virtually dead to the world. Laying aside all the enjoyments of life—of which indeed she had very few—she concentrated her whole energy on prayer and meditation, and looked eagerly to the day when she would be united with her beloved in the other world. This event unnerved Ramkumar as well, upon whose shoulders now fell the entire responsibility of the family. He had to look after his widowed mother, educate the younger brothers and manage the domestic affairs in keeping with the traditions of the family. The death of Khudiram brought a great change in the mind of Gadadhar also. Every day he felt the loss of his father more and more. The striking contrast between his father’s character and that of other people began to dawn on him. His naturally thoughtful mind became graver, though to the observer he still retained his usual air of youthful merriment. No one observed that the boy began to frequent the mango grove or the cremation ground in the vicinity alone and pass long hours there absorbed in thought, nor that his attention was focussed more than ever on Puranic recitals and the making of clay images of gods and goddesses. Besides, there was a marked change in Gadadhar’s behaviour towards his mother. Finding that she desired great solace from his company, he spent some time every day in helping her in her household work or in the worship of Raghuvir. He also became less exacting in his importunities, knowing she would be grieved if she could not supply his childish demands. He thought it his duty to lessen the burden of his mother’s grief and to infuse into her melancholy life whatever joy and con- solation he could.BOYHOOD 23 The village of Kamarpukur, as stated before, was situated on the road leading to Puri, and in those days when there were few railroads, this route was much frequented by pilgrims, wandering monks and others mostly all on foot. The Laha family built a rest-house for these wayfarers, Gadadhar soon found a new source of pleasure in the company of the Sadhus; he delighted in their stories of various saints and different places, and prayers and songs. He knew already of their unconven- tional life, their indifference to bodily pain or pleasure, their devotion and resignation to God, and their content- ment with whatever food came to them. The boy was beginning to be conscious of the transitoriness of the world. Contact with the monks strengthened this feeling. He delighted in spending hour after hour with them, listening to their religious discussions, learning songs from them, joining in their prayers, and sometimes even partaking of their meals and assisting them by fetching water or collecting fuel. They took a great fancy to him. Chandra Devi did not object. She rather rejoiced at this association of her son with the Sadhus and thought that their benedictions would be beneficial. But one day she was startled when the boy came to her with his body smeared with ashes. He had torn his cloth into two and wrapped both pieces round his loins like Kaupins.* “Look, mother,” he said with a smile, “I have become a Sadhu.” The mother was anxious, for she had heard of pretended monks who in the guise of ascetics tempted boys and kidnapped them. She asked Gadadhar to shun their company. The boy, failing to convince his mother of the utter baselessness of her apprehensions, at last 1 Sadhus’ loin-cloth.24 LIFE OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA agreed to obey her and went to the Sadhus to bid them farewell. They were surprised and pained to hear of the mother’s fears and went to her house, to assure her of the safety of her boy. Association with these itinerant monks and listening to their readings from the scriptures inclined the natural- ly emotional mind of the boy more and more to meditation. So we find him in his boyhood, long before he passed through the terrible asceticism in the Kali temple of Dakshineswar, giving evidence of the transcendental nature of his mind,—its difference from the ordinary one. The following incident furnishes an instance of his deep religious bent. The goddess Visalakshi, the presiding deity of Anur, a village close to Kamarpukur, was held in great venera- tion by the people of the neighbouring villages as well, who often went there to redeern their vows on the fulfilment of their particular desires. She was reputed to be a particular patron of the poor and outcast as well as of the cowherd boys. One day a party of women, amongst them Prasanna, the daughter of Dharmadas Laha, who was hoted for her piety and great devotion, ‘was on its way to Anur to worship Visalakshi. Gada- dhar insisted on accompanying them. Accordingly, he set out with them. As the party walked along, Gada- dhar relieved the tedium of the journey with songs in praise of the goddess. Suddenly, he was overcome with religious emotion—his body became stiff and motionless, tears rolled down his cheeks, and he made no response to the women when they called aloud to him in their fright. Not being familiar with the trance state they thought he must have had a-sunstroke. Some splashed water on his face, others fanned him, but with no results. Finally, Prasanna in desperation called upon theBOYHOOD 3 goddess for help. The name of Visalakshi had been repeated only a few times when the boy showed signs of returning consciousness, and presently he was him- self again, with no evidence of any harm having come to him. Gadadhar was now nine, and it was time to invest him with the holy thread. This is the first memorable occasion in the life of a Brahmin ; in fact the scriptures consider him as a Sudra, a man belonging to the lowest caste, until this has been done. Then he becomes a true Brahmin and is permitted to utter the holy Mantras, and to worship the gods and goddesses ; he is supposed to enter a new life—a life of purity, sacri- fice, truthfulness and great restraint—and is therefore called a Dwija or “twice born.” Besides observing great restrictions in food and other enjoyments, the scriptures enjoin on him the strictest discipline in all phases of life, and condign is the punishment for any breach. Every Brahmin boy looks forward to this sacred ceremony ; Gadadhar was no exception. - A curious incident happened in this connection, After the investiture with the holy thread it is the general practice with the newly initiated to take his first Bhiksha or alms from some relative, or person of equal rank. But it so happened that Dhani, the blacksmith woman of the village, had long ago prayed to Gadadhar to allow her the privilege of giving him the first Bhiksha, and the boy, moved by her genuine love, had agreed. Dhani waited with an expectant heart. After the ceremony was over Gadadhar told of his promise to his brother Ramkumar. Objections were raised on the ground that it was contrary to the custom of the family. But Gadadhar insisted on keeping his promise. The family was forced to give26 LIFE OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA way, and so it was from Dhani that Gadadhar took his first alms, Reading this incident in the light of subsequent events, many ideas arise in the mind. First of all, it shows Gadadhar’s great, undeviating love for truth. He had given his promise, and he was ready to keep it at whatever cost. At the same time it does not explain why he gave a promise which might bring social stigma on his family. Could it have been Dhani’s sincere devotion that prompted him to do it? May it not be that, even at that tender age, Sri Rama- krishna’s every act had its meaning, and that his un- erring intuition empowered him to recognise religious sincerity, and to prefer it to social regulations, which, necessary as they are under ordinary circumstances, must be set aside, if the spirit of the law, instead of the letter, is to be honoured ? So far, it was only the villagers who knew the great qualities of Gadadhar, although none had any idea of the great part that he was to play later. Shortly after the thread ceremony, an incident occurred bringing him for’the first time before them as a teacher. He was then about ten years old. There was a great Sraddha ceremony in the house of Dharmadas Laha, to which a number of Brahmin scholars were invited. As generally happens on such occasions, the scholars were engaged in an animated debate over some subtle point. The argument lasted for hours. Their excited gestures and loud voices during the wordy warfare attracted a number of spectators, amongst whom was Gadadhar. While the other boys were. chatting or imitating the gestures of the Pandits, he was listening with rapt attention. Finally, the boy whispered some- thing to a Brahmin, asking if that-might not be the answer. When the others heard it they accepted it at